Acetylene generator



.April 24. 1 26.

Patented Apr. 24, 1928i HUNITEDSTA TES EARL M. EVLETH, or GRAND VI-IAVEMJYIICHIGAN, nssienon To THE BASTIAN-BLESS- me COMPANY, or CHICAGOfILLINOIS, A ooarona'rion or ILLINOIS.

ACETYLENE GENERATOR;

Application filed- August 4, 1925. Serial no, 4 023.

This invention relates to acetylene generators of the portable type in which the generator is provided with wheels whereby it may be moved to the point of use for gen erating the gas as'required. I

The main objectot' my inventionis to so design and construct thepa-rts thatthe; 013* orator may give his undivided attention to the moving of the generator When occasion demands, and to prevent the possibility of his attention being distracted'by the; han dling of a lightedtorch duringthe moving.

A further object is to prevent the'possis bility of any further carbide being fed to the water, or any waterisplashing on the oarbide during the shaking or jarring of the generator during movement. and to seal the commnnication between the Water, and cartbide chambers so that the carbide cannot be sulnnerged in the water with great evolution oi gas and creation of dangerously high pressures should the generatorbe upset dur- .ing moving. l p

As one important feature I provide the apparatus with locking means connecting the "alves with the running, gear so as toyprevent opening the valves when the running gear is unlocked. or unlocking the running gear when the-valves areopen. As a further feature I provide the running gear with juxtaposed rotatableiand non-rotatable supports either oflwliiclrl'nay be brought into operation, the movement of the truck being prevented whenthe non-rotatable support is in operation and the rotatable support is out of contact with thefioor. As a further feature I provide shifting means :tor bringing either the'rotatable or the non-rotatable support 'intoqoperation, said shitting means being locked against operation when the generator valves are open. f i g, As a further feature I provide: ahandle member for moving the apparatuaand pros vided with means for automatically shifting the weight of the generator from thenon: rotatable to the rotatable supportupon'the movement of the handle to operative position. As a further feature I provide interlocking means whereby; the handle cannot be moved to operative position while. thevalve mechanism is open. r g

As a further feature I provide interlock ing means whereby the valve mechanism cannot be opened while the running gear of the apparatus is releasedand free for operation,"

Other objects, advantages and lllliJQlt-tllll) features will beipointed out hereinafter or will be apparenti'rom a consideration of the aocon'ipzinying drawing and description of a preferredembodiment, I i i Inthedravving: I

Fig lv is a perspective view of a construction embodyingmy invention. i l Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionoil ap ortion ofthe running gear, and i Fig. 3 is a sectional detail ofa portion of theglockr i i i i i ;I have illustrated my invention as applied to a type of construction in which there is provided a truck having a "frame 10 on which mounted the acetylene generatorv All one end the truck frame has hangers 11 carrying stud axles for the main wheelslii, and at the other end has bearing blocks 13 for supporting a member 14; and pern'iitting of the oscillation of saidmember about a transversely extending axis. This nen'iber 14 serves to rotatably support a downwardly and forwardly inclined sh aft or steering post 15 provided at its lower end with forks 16 in. which ismonnteda wheel 17. i, The bearing blocks 13 or adjacent portions of the frame, have a; pair otlegs 18 at the rear of and upon opposite sides of the wheel 17. A draft handle 19' connected tothe head ofthe 'i'orks 161so that upon turning the handle to the right or left the steering post and forks are oscillated, while upon'swinging the trontend otthe handle up or down the ineinberfll is oscillated. Theparts are so positioned that when the handle 19 is in vertical pOS1l110D 'aS illustrated, thesteerlng post is atsuch an angle to the vertical thatthe 9 wheel 17. is lifted outof contact with the "floor and the'weight ofthe generator is supported in partlby the legs 18. Upon swinging the ,handletorwardly and'down wardly, thepmember 14 is rotated'andthe wheel s forced downwardlyand rear? \vardlyibetween the two legs 18, so as to lift the latter out of engagement with the floor and support the entire load onythe wheels 12 and 1.7. It will be noted that the swing ing of the handledownwardly to position where it is convenient to pull or pushthe truelgautomatically shifts the weight of the apparatus from the non-rotatablesupports 18 to the rotatable support 17 While A [means OFFICE;

the moving of the handle to upright ,position so as to be out of the way, shifts the weight of the apparatus back to the non-rotatable supports.

1 do not wish to be limited to any particular type oi acetylene generator, as the details of the generator aside tromrcertain features of the control thereof, form no portion of my present invention.

In the form illustrated there a main water chamber and gas holder above which is mounted a carbide hopper 21. The

feed ot the carbide may be automatically controlled in accordance with the gas pressure by some form of valve mechanism 22, but in connection therewith I provide means which when brought into operation, positively prevents the supply of carbide irrespective of gas pressure. This means is shown as a valve 28 mounted on a rock shaft 24. which is connected by a' link and suitable levers to a rock shaft projecting to the exterior of the generator.

The generated gas may flow through a tube 26. a vibrator bell chamber 27, a pipe 28, a water-sealed flash-back chamber 29, to a manually operable shut-oft valve 32 which should remain closed while the truck is being; moved. Connected .to the flash-back chamber is a safety valve 30 and outlet 31 to give relief from excessive pressure.

In my improved construction I interconnect the draft handle '19, the steering and supporting wheel 17.. the carbide feed valve 23. and the shut-0H valve '32.

In the construction illustrated, :the shutoft valve .32 is provided with an operating lever which is connected by a link 34 to a lever 35 secured to the :rock shaft '25 of the carbide teed valve. There' tore the lever handle 33 .as it is moved upwardly and toward the right from the open position illustrated, acts to close the gas shut-oii' valve and at the same time close the carbide teed valve 23.

This valve operating mechanism is pro vided with means for preventing the opening of the valves when the weight of the truck is on the rotatable support 17. This means is shown as including a link 36 connected to the lever 35 and terminating in a locking bolt 37 vertically slidable in a guide 38 at the lower part of the frame. This guide also serves to support a 'bar 39 which is movable enclwise and provided. with an aperture which may be brought into or out of the path of the bolt 37. The closing of the valves 23 and 32 raises the bolt 37 out of the bar 39 so as to permit endwise movement of the bar. Any such endwise move ment brings the aperture of the bar out of registry with the bolt and prevents downward movement of the bolt. This likewise prevents the opening of the valves 23 and 32.

The bar 39 extends to and is connected with a lever l0 mounted on a rock shaft 41, and the other end of the lever is connected by a link 42 to .a catch 43 for holding the handle .19 in raised position. The swinging ot' the catch out of the path of the handle so that the latter may be lowered, pushes on the link 42 and pulls on the bar 39 to bring the aperture ot' the latter out of registry with the locking bolt 37.

It will. be noted that it the 'alves are open and the locking bolt is in operative position, the bar 39 cannot be pulled back, and therefore the catch 43 cannotbe operated to release the handle 19. It the valves be closed the handle may be releasec'hbut the releasing of the handle by the movement-0t -the=catch 43, so positions the bar 39 that the bolt '37 cannot be lowered and the valves cannot be opened, Furthermore, the oscillatory member l iwhich is turned to bringthe wheel 17 into operative position, is provided with an arm 44: which has a link 45, one end of which is-slidable in an aperture in the lever "4-0. Theliiik has acollar or stop lb which limits relative IDOVGDIGHtOf the link 45 and lever in one direction. in the position shown in the drawing the catch 43 maybe operated to swing the lever 40 independently of any endw-ise n'iovement ot' the link 45. After the handle has been thus released. the downward movement ol the handle to bring the wheel 1-7 into operative position, moves the link endwisc and brings the stop 46 again into engage-- ment with the lever 40. and may even swing the lever further in the same direction as it was moved by the catch 43. Thus when the handle is down and the weight-0t the truck and the generatorcarried thereby is on the wheel 17. the catch 43 cannot be operated to bringthe bar 39 back to such position as will permit opening of the valves.

Thegas shut-oft valve 32 and the carbide feed valve 23 each constitutes a member for controlling the-operation 0t the generator. the broad term generator controlling member..-I do not. wish .to lie limited to the use of either of these two valves, :or to the combination of the two. as other types o't generators may have other terms of controlling elements which it is desirable to lock against operation when the running gearof the truck is released. The drawing shows other "terms. of generator controlling members which are illustrated as associated with the inter-locking mechanism. The generator has a sludge drain cook 47 provided with an operating handle 48, and also has a water filler tunnel 49 provided withan operating valve handle 50. A vertically dis posed rock shaft 51 has a locking arm 52 which when in the position shown prevents the operation of either ot the valve handles 4801 50. This rockshattbl at its :upper end lVith the parts has amember 53 which isso designed and so mounted that the rock shaft cannot be oscillated except-when the'gas valve and carbide feed valves are closed. Thus the opening of the last mentioned valves not only prevents the release of the running gear, but also prevents the opening: of the" drain and water filler valves. I V

The non-rotatable supports l8wvhen in operation, that is when the: wheelyl'ris lifted, constitute means for preventing transporting movement of the generator. The catch 43 serves to lock these parts inposh tion with the wheel 16 *aised. The bar "39 when withdrawn serves asi'a means for locking the valves against opening movements when the wheel 17 of the generatonis" in lower or Operative position; The bar 37 serves as "another means for preventing lowering movement of the wheel 17when the valves are open. So far as concerns certain broad features of my invention, it will be evident that other locking means than the catch 43 and the raising of the wheel l7might be en'iployed for preventing movel'uent of the truck, and which instead of lifting a wheel oil the floor might operate to prevent rotation "of the wheel or otherwise prevent or interfere with the free movement of the truck.

In my copendingapplication Serial No. 39,177, liled June 24, 192551 have described a construction in which ap'ivoted lever may either support alower ea'rbide feedva lve, such as the valve 23, ormay act on the stem of an upper valve such as the valve 22. to positively close the latter, By the term carbide feed valve asused in the present case, I include either a valve such as 22 whenop erated as described in the other application, or such a valve as the valve 23 shown in this application, or any other equivalent mechanism lor positively preventingthe feed of the carbide and thus controlling-the operationoli' thegenerator.

Iilaving'thns described myinvention, what I claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent is:- w

1. A portable acetylene generator having a generator controlling member, means for locking the same, a truck for supporting the generator, and having running gear, means for locking said runnlng gear, and means for preventing the release of the first mentioned locking means when the running gear is nn-,

locked.

2. A portable acetylene generator having a generator controlling member, means for locking the same, a truck for supporting the a generator and having running gear, means for locking said running gear, and means for preventing the unlocking of the running gear when said controlling member is unlocked. 3. A portable acetylene generator havator support including a irotatable member and a non-rotatable member adapted to act alternately, andymeans for preventing actuau tion of said first mentionedmember: when said rotatablesupporting member is in operatioin 1 i Y Y I 451A lmrtabloacetylene generator having a generator control-ling member, a generator support including-a rotatable memberand a non-rotatable member ada-pted to act alternately, and means for, preventing the movement of said rotatable supporting member into operative position when said first mentioned member is in .a position permitting normal operation of the: generator. 1

5. v A portable acetylene generator having a generator controlling member, a generator support*includinga rotatable membcraud a non-rotatable member adaptedto act alternately, and means for preventing the shift ing of the weight of thegenerator from said non-rotatable support to'said rotatable support, or vice versa, when said generator con erator supportincluding a rotatable {memf berand anono'otatable memberadapted to actalt'ermitely, a catch for hold ng said rotatable isnp 'iorting member ilrinoperative positiom' and means for preventing the actuation of. said first mentioned member when said catch is in rcleased position.

7. A portable acetylene generator including a generator controlling member, ageir' erator support "including airotatable member and anon-rotatablemembeiuadapted to actalternately, a catch for holdingl said rotatable supporting member in inoperative position, and means for preventing thereoperation of the generator.

8. A portable aeetylene'generator including a supporting truck having running gear, a gas outlet valve, and means for locking the running gear to prevent operation when said gas outlet valve is open.

9. A portable acetylene generator including a supporting truck having running gear, a carbide feed valve, and means for locking the running gear to prevent operation when said carbide feed valve is open.

10. A portable acetylene generator having running gear for supporting the same, a gas outlet valve, means for rendering said running gear operative or inoperative, and means for preventing the opening of said valve when said running gearis in operative position.

11. A portable acetylene generator having running gear for supporting the same. a

iao

running ,gear operative or inoperative, and means for preventing the opening of said valve when said running gear is in opera-- tive position.

12. A portable acetylene generator having supporting means including running gear, a draft handle, a generator controlling anember, a catch for holding the handle in inoperative position for pulling purposes, and means for preventing the release of said catch when said controlling member is in a position permitting normal operation of the generator.

18. A portable acetylene generator having supporting means including running gear, a draft handle, a gas outlet valve, a catch "for holding the handle in inoperative posi tion -lor pulling purposes, and means for preventing the release of said catch when the valve is in open position.

14. A portable acetylene generator having supporting means including running gear, a draft handle, a carbide teed valve, a catch for holding the handle in inoperative position for pulling purposes, and means for preventing the release of said catch when the valve is in open position.

15. Aportable acetylene generator having supporting means including a supporting log, a supporting wheel, means for varying the relative elevations of said leg and wheel to bring either into and the other out of'operation, a generator controlling valve, and means for preventing actuation of the valve when the supporting wheel is in operative position.

16. A portable acetylene generator having supporting means including a supporting log, a supporting-wheel. means for varying the relative elevations of said leg and wheel to bring either into and "the other out of operation, a generator controlling valve, and means for preventing the movement of said wheel into operative position when said valve is open.

17. A portable acetylene generator having a supporting truck, a draft handle, a con trolling valve, :a locking bolt operatively connected to the valve, a catch for holding the draft handle in raised position, and a movable member operatively connected to said catch and having anaperture adapted to receive said locking Tbolt. I

18. A-portable acetylene generator having a. control valve, a locking bolt operatively connected thereto, a supporting wheel adapt ed to be moved into or out of operative position, and means for preventing movement of said wheel into operative position when the valve is open, and including a member having an aperture to receive said locking bolt.

19. A portable acetylene generator including atruck having a-steering wheel, a steering post, a pivoted member in which said post is mounted, a handle dor turning said member, an :apentured member operatively connectedto said first imentioned member, a generator controlling element, and a locking lboltvconnected to said element and adapted to enter an aperture of said second mentioned member.

20. A portable acetylene generator having a carbide feed "valve, a gas outlet valve, a locking bolt, connection-s between said valves and said bolt for operating :them simultaneously, a supporting true: having a supporting wheel, a pivoted member torconnecting the wheel and the truck, ;a draft handle itor oscillating said member to bring said wheel into or :out of operative position, a catch for normally holdingsaid draft handle in raised position, an apertured plate in operative :relationship to said locking bolt, means for moving said last mentioned member tobring the aperture thereof out of registry with the :bolt upon the actuation of said catch 'to permit lowering of the draft handle, and means for preventing the return movement of the catch after the lowering of the draft handle and the movement of said su fiporting wheel into operative position.

Signed at Grand Haven in the county of Ottawa and State of Michiganl-this 22nd day of July, A. D. 1925. V

EARL M. EV'LETH. 

